Found this in a T.K. Chiba (Aikido Master) article.
YAMAOKA TESSHU, the swordsman who founded the Muto-Ryu School of Swordsmanship during the Edo period, understandably decided to introduce the training known as “Tachigiri-No-Seigan”.
His intention was to carry out a close inquiry concerning the essence of martial discipline by injecting the element of Zen discipline into the Dojo training (of swordsmanship) where the practitioners are forced to confront their own true faces by being driven into a situation where there is no escape.
The disciples of Yamaoka made a vow to engage in the following progressive training:
1st stage- Two day commitment to engage in 200 contests per day, alone, and without stopping against 20 opponents who are permitted to rest and attack in rotation. Prior to committing to the 1 st stage, the disciple had to carry out the training for 1000 days without fail.
2nd stage - Three day commitment - same as above.
3rd stage - 7 day commitment - same as above.
4th stage - 1000 days training without stopping, from 4 am to 8 pm each day, competing against 100 opponents per day.
Has anyone more info about this training regime?.
Is the story real or a legend?